katy gazed with wonder and admiration at the rich furniture of the house, and thought that perhaps her grandfather lived in as good style as mrs. gordon, and that she might some day go to liverpool and be an inmate of just such a palace. the door of the sitting-room was open, and she had an opportunity to look at all the fine things it contained. she had never seen anything so luxurious before, and i must say that she regretted the poverty of her lot, which deprived her mother and herself of them.
all round the room hung pictures in costly frames. some of them were portraits; and one which hung over the mantelpiece directly before her, soon attracted her attention, and made her forget the soft divans, the beautiful carpet, and the rich draperies of the windows. it was the portrait of a lady, and her expression was very like that of her mother—so like that she could almost believe the picture had been painted for her mother. yet that could not be, for the lady was young, and plump, and rosy, and wore rich laces, and a costly dress. she seemed to look down upon her from the golden frame with a smile of satisfaction. there was something roguish in her eye, as though she was on the point of bursting into a laugh at some mischief she had perpetrated. o, no! that could not be her mother; she had never seen her look like that. but there was something that seemed very much like her; and the more she looked at it, the more the picture fascinated her. she tried to look at something else, but the lady appeared to have fixed her gaze upon her, and, whichever way she turned, those laughing eyes followed her, and brought back her attention to the canvas again.
in vain she attempted to fasten her mind upon some of the other portraits. there was an elderly gentleman, with a full red face; but the jealous lady would not let her look at him. she turned round and looked out the windows at the side of the door; but the spell of the lady was upon her, and she could not resist the charm. the more she studied the portrait, the more convinced she became that it looked like her mother, though there was something about it which was as unlike her as anything could be. "what makes you keep looking at me?" said katy to herself, or rather to the lady on the canvas. "you needn't watch me so closely; i shall not steal anything."
the lady, however, insisted on watching her, and kept her roguish glance fixed upon her with a steadiness that began to make her feel nervous and uneasy; and she was greatly relieved when she heard footsteps on the stairs.
"mrs. gordon will be down in a moment," said miss grace, in kind tones. "won't you come into this room and sit down?"
katy thanked her, and grace led her to a small chair directly under the mischievous-looking lady in the frame; and she felt a kind of satisfaction in being placed out of her sight. but it seemed, even then, as she cast a furtive glance upward, that those roguish eyes were trying to peer over the picture frame, and get a look at her.
"well, little girl, what do you wish with me?" said mrs. gordon, a benevolent looking lady, apparently of more than forty years of age, who now entered the room.
the expression of her countenance was very pleasant, and though there were a few wrinkles on her brow and she wore a lace cap, katy came to the conclusion that the portrait had been taken for her. she wondered if such a dignified lady could ever have been so roguish as the picture indicated.
"please, ma'am," stammered she, rising from her chair, "i come to see you about the house we live in."
"what is your name, child?"
"katy redburn, ma'am."
"in what house do you live in?"
"in one of yours in colvin court. mother is a poor woman, and has been sick so much this summer that she can't pay the rent."
"i am very sorry for you, my child, but i refer you to my agent, dr. flynch. i do not like to meddle with these things, as i have given him the whole care of my houses. you will find him a very good man, and one who will be willing to consider your case. he will extend to you all the lenity your case requires."
"we have told dr. flynch all about it, ma'am and he says if the rent is not paid by one o'clock to-day, he shall turn us out of the house."
"indeed!" exclaimed mrs. gordon; and grace actually jumped out of her chair with astonishment and indignation.
"yes, ma'am; that's just what he said," added katy, satisfied with the impression she had produced.
"is your mother ill now?" asked mrs. gordon.
"yes ma'am; she has not been off her bed for twelve weeks."
"what does dr. flynch say, my child?"
"he says my mother deceived him; that she told him a falsehood; and that she had money, when she didn't have a cent."
"it is too bad, mother!" exclaimed grace.
"hush, grace; probably dr. flynch knows best, for he certainly would not turn a poor sick woman out of doors because she did not pay the rent. there may be, as he says, some deception about it, which he can penetrate and we cannot."
"there is no deception about it, ma'am," pleaded katy, much disturbed by this sudden damper upon her hopes. "she has not got a single cent. she wouldn't tell a lie, and i wouldn't either."
there was something in the eloquence and earnestness of the child that deeply impressed the mind of the lady, and she could hardly resist the conclusion that her agent had, in this instance, made a mistake. but she had great confidence in dr. flynch, and she was very unwilling to believe that he could be so harsh and cruel as the little girl represented. she had heard of the tricks of the vicious poor, and while she was disposed to be very tender of a needy tenant, she must be just to her agent.
"it is now half-past ten," continued mrs. gordon.
"you shall remain here, my child, and i will send michael down to colvin court to inquire into the situation of your mother. he must be impartial for he knows nothing about the case."
"thank you, ma'am," said katy, with a promptness which assured grace, if not her mother, that the little girl was honest.
mrs. gordon rang the bell, and when michael answered the summons, she attended him to the street door, where she instructed him to call upon mrs. redburn, and also to inquire of the grocer at the corner, and of her neighbors, what sort of a person she was. the lady returned to the sitting-room when he had gone, and asked katy a great many questions about herself and her mother, and thus nearly an hour was consumed, at the end of which time michael returned. katy had answered all the lady's questions fairly, though without betraying her family history, which her mother had cautioned her to keep to herself, that she was prepared to receive a favorable report from her man.
"well, michael, did you find the woman at home?" asked mrs. gordon, as the man presented himself.
"indeed, i deed, marm."
"what was she doing?"
"she was fast in bed, and told me she hadn't been out of it for twelve weeks come saturday."
"what does the grocer say?"
"he says she is a very good woman, but poor and proud. she always paid him every cent she owed him, and he'd trust her for half he has in his shop."
"that will do, michael; you may go;" and the man retired with a respectful bow.
katy's face wore a smile of triumph, as michael was dismissed. her mother's truthfulness had been vindicated, and it was the proudest moment she had known for many a day.
"how long has your mother lived in my house?" asked mrs. gordon.
"about three years, ma'am; and she always paid her rent till this month," replied katy.
"if she had not, dr. flynch would have turned her into the street," added grace; and it was evident the beautiful young lady had no special regard for that worthy gentleman.
"we have tried hard enough to pay the rent this month," continued katy; and she proceeded to tell the story of the silver watch, that had belonged to her father.
"this is dreadful, mother; let us do something about it," said grace. "what a wretch the broker must have been!"
"we will endeavor to get the watch back for her," replied mrs. gordon, as she seated herself at a table and wrote a few lines on a piece of paper. "here, my child, is a receipt for your month's rent. when dr. flynch comes for the money, you show him this, and he will be satisfied;" and she handed her the receipt.
katy took it, and thanked the good lady, assuring her that her mother would certainly pay the money as soon as she got well.
"my mother is poor and proud, just as the grocer said, and she don't ask any one to give her anything. i am going to earn some money myself, and i hope i shall be able to pay the next month's rent," added katy, as she moved towards the door.
"but the watch, mother?" interposed grace.
"if the little girl will come here this afternoon or to-morrow morning, we will take her to the mayor who will have the case attended to."
"i will come any time, ma'am."
"the mayor is my friend, and i will call at his house with you this afternoon at three o'clock."
katy could not but think the mayor had a great many friends, for there was master simon sneed, and mrs. gordon, and she knew not how many more. she thanked the lady very warmly for her kindness, and promising to come at the time stated, she took her leave.
she was followed to the door by grace, who detained her there.
"katy, i am sure you are a very good little girl, and here is a dollar for you. it will buy something good for your mother."
"i thank you very much, miss gordon. i am poor, but proud, like my mother," replied she, as a flush of shame mantled her cheek.
"what a foolish little girl!" laughed grace. "take it; you will oblige me very much by taking it."
"no, ma'am, i can't; my mother wouldn't own me if i should take money as a gift."
"but you must take it, katy; i shall be angry if you don't."
the little girl looked up into her pretty eyes beaming with pity and love; and she could hardly resist the temptation to oblige her by accepting the gift; but since she had heard the story of her mother's life, she understood why she was so much prouder than other poor people; and as she thought of her grandfather in his fine house in the great city of liverpool, she felt a little of the same spirit—she too was poor and proud. besides, as grace jingled the two half dollars together, there was a harmony in the sound that suggested a great heap of good things for her mother. and there was another powerful consideration that weighed with great force upon her mind. one of those half dollars would be a sufficient capital upon which to commence her candy speculation. it would buy ever so much molasses of the very best quality. as she thought of this, she was disposed, at least, to compromise with miss grace.
"i cannot accept the money as a gift, but you may lend it to me, if you please," said katy, after she had reflected a moment.
"just as you like," laughed grace; "but i shall not feel bad if you never pay me."
"i shall certainly pay it again," persisted the embryo candy merchant. "i would not take it if i thought i could not."
"very well; but you must know i think you are a very singular little girl."
"i am poor and proud; that's all."
katy took the loan, and with her fancy fired with brilliant expectations in regard to the candy operation, ran home to her mother as fast as her feet would carry her. mrs. redburn was much displeased with her at first for what she had done. her pride revolted at the thought of begging a favor; but katy explained the matter so well that she was satisfied, though nothing was said about the loan she had obtained.
punctually at the appointed hour came dr. flynch for the rent.
"have you got the money?" he demanded in his usual bland tones, though katy thought she could see a wicked purpose in his little gray eye.
"no, sir; but——"
"that's all i desire to know, mrs. redburn," interrupted the agent. "you must leave the house."
"but, sir, i have something that will do as well as the money," added the sick woman.
"have you, indeed?" sneered dr. flynch "i think not."
"will you read that, sir?" said katy, handing him mrs. gordon's receipt.
the agent took the paper, and as he read, the wonted serenity of his brow was displaced by a dark scowl. his threats had been disregarded, and he had been reported to his employer.
"so you have been fawning and cringing upon mrs. gordon," growled he. "probably you have told her more lies than you dared tell me."
"i told her nothing but the truth, and she sent her man down here to find out all about us, said katy, smartly.
"very well; this paper will only delay the matter for a few days; when i have exposed you to her, she will acquiesce in my views;" and dr. flynch threw down the receipt and left the house.
"we are well rid of him, at any rate," said katy.
"now i will get you some dinner, for i must be at mrs. gordon's at three o'clock; and i want to tell you about my plan too, mother."
the active little girl made a cup of tea for her mother, and the dinner was soon dispatched.
